Caught Red Handed
by Lucia.E
Summary: Bella is homeless, Edward is a cop. Edward catches Bella stealing one night whilst on patrol. She needs shelter, he gives it to her if she does community work. Will they come it some...arrangement? Rated T at the moment. Possible mild language later on RR


Caught Red Handed

Chapter 1 – The beginning of the end

The fire from the drum was cracking, my hands finding comfort in the heat it was kindly sharing and I'm certain my face was glowing gold just like everyone else.

'Apparently Mr Ford promised to sort out the streets, you know, get rid of crime and find shelter for the homeless.' Mark said with obvious doubt, 'he will have to do more to get my vote,' he laughed while reading last week's newspaper; everyone else gave a small chuckle.

'Good luck if he can get _that_ sorted,' Ryan said.

Mark and Ryan are like me, living off the dirt of the world, we hunt like animals trying to find a decent meal. It has been two whole days since my last feed and my pockets were empty of a penny. I pulled down my tattered fingerless gloves to try and stop the cold defeating me.

I looked around, the same scene I have seen a hundred times. The old dump yard was littered with unused drums filled with fire, each one dedicated to a certain space and each space dedicated to a group of people. The group I was in was called the 'Classics', mainly because we all ended up where we are the classical way. We have managed to build ourselves a nice place, well nice for a homeless person; we got old sheets of tin and propped them up with old pipe. Our invention kept any rain off our heads but that was the only thing we shared, we had to keep to ourselves, one wrong word about anyone and you could find yourself homeless from the homeless.

'I never did understand politics well,' Mark threw the paper into the fire, 'you've been awfully quiet Bella, something wrong?'

'Huh? No I'm fine, just thinking.'

'When are you going on your next mission 007?' said Ryan.

'Once I get myself warmed up, then I'm out of here.' It was how I got money and food, I would go to a house that didn't have anyone at home and would search for food and anything valuable to sell. I wouldn't have thought of myself to be a thief, especially since my dad was a sheriff, but if I wanted to survive it is what I had to do.

'If you find something nice bring it back for me,' Mark said.

I knew he was joking but I turned with a small smile and headed for the streets. I turned left and after a few hundred yards up the pathway I crossed the road to go down an alley that led to the urban buildings. I kept to one side of the alley because whilst I had nothing to give a robber I have heard of women being taken advantage of. It happened on the other side of town but that doesn't mean I should have my guard down. Walking past a few old dumpsters I saw others like me finding the best place to get warmth. Exiting through the end of the alley faced me onto a street lined with pubs and nightclubs, the dangerous kind, signalling for you to turn around and go back. But I did a little jog across the street and into another alley; this one much cleaner and you could tell you were entering into the more respectable neighbourhoods. Since it was an alley I wasn't surprised to see two people devouring each other, whether they were a couple or just two drunken people looking for a 'fun time' I didn't know.

Coming out of the alley I turned right, heading away from Seattle. After a thirty-minute walk I came to my destination. The house was your typical American design, wooden with a veranda, lush green grass and a white picket fence.

'If only you knew how good you had it,' I murmured to myself as I approached the house. I went round the back to inspect there were no lights on. No dogs, good. I walked up to the door and swung open the screen door, they were never locked. I lifted up a plant pot on the window ledge beside me and discovered a key, so predictable. I inserted the key into the lock, turned it and voila! I was in.

I was standing in the kitchen, bingo! Making my way over to the fridge I noticed some pictures held up by magnets on the door. A family of four; mother, father, son, daughter and a dog. A tinge of jealousy caused through me, they were probably out for dinner or going to the cinema. The kids would be so scared if they came home to a burgled house but I would be so dead if I didn't eat.

I opened the fridge; there was everything you would expect in a family fridge. I was about to chuck everything into my rucksack but for the first time in doing this I felt a struck of guilt. I couldn't do this to a family that was like mine, I know what it is like to come home and everything is in the wrong place...

Reaching into the fridge I grabbed a yoghurt, they wouldn't miss one strawberry tub, I searched the draws for a spoon. The darkness made it hard to see but if I put the light on people would know of my presence. Finding the spoon I sat down at the table and started eating, I had to be quick they could be home soon.

Finishing off the last of it I chucked the tub in the bin and put the spoon in the sink. I would have enough energy to go raid the next house...if I didn't get a guilt trip again.

Suddenly, red and blue lights shined through the windows and reflected off my face. I dropped and crawled to one of the front windows, I peered out from the bottom trying to stay hidden.

'Crap!' I whispered upon viewing a cop getting out of his car.

I quickly dashed for the back door, opening and closing it as quietly as I could. I searched the back yard for a back exit. Nothing.

I would have to sneak out the front pass the officer. I quickly but quietly ran down the steps, I ran to the side of the house. I peeped around the corner and seen the cop making his way to the front door, I slipped around the corner and crouched behind a bush then I floated over to another bush and another until I was near the front of the house, the light on the front porch meant I had to hold my escape for a moment. The officer looked in through the windows checking for any disturbances, and then he rattled at the door.

I don't think I have seen such a good-looking officer in my life. His hair was a copper colour and his face was perfectly sculpted. If I wasn't a criminal on the run and homeless then I would be tempted to say hello but seeing that I'm neither of those things I had to keep my mind straight.

'105 we have a car crash on the eastern highway,' said the women over his radio.

'Copy that,' his voice was like music...

_Stay focused Bella!_

'Would you like a lift?' the cop said, he turned towards me with a smug smile.

I gasped. Should I run? Should I let him take me in? Should I talk?

'Now don't be getting any ideas.' He took a step towards me.

Run. Definitely run!

I ran out onto the path and up the street. I had to find a way out of here; it would take too long to get back to the dump. I needed to hide. Dashing to my right across the street I could see a park, it would connect me to the town on the other side.

'Hey stop!' called the cop behind me; he was about fifty yards back.

I pushed my legs harder and I soon found myself at the parks gate, it was only a few feet high so I simple jumped over it. For someone who can be quite clumsy I was very impressed with it. The park was abandoned, not even a teenager was hanging out on the swings. I sprinted full pelt for the opposite gate; I was there within a minute.

I looked behind me, no officer. I gave a sigh of relief but I knew that could have meant he went to his car and could be here any second.

The gates on this end were quite high, seven feet or so, I yanked it open and collided with a wall.

I fell back on my arse. Ow.

Still slightly dizzy and disorientated, I rubbed my head and looked up at the wall ready to give an inanimate object a piece of my mind.

But…

The cop was standing above me with a very evident smug look on his face, 'Gotcha.'


End file.
